But the time has come to move on from all talk of Notre Dame’s 12-0 regular season. And to move on to what everyone wants to know:

Are the Irish—their No. 1 BCS ranking essentially meaningless now—good enough to share a field with the SEC champion?

It’s what all the talk will be about from here on out. Or at least until Jan. 7 in Miami, where we’ll see if the SEC championship game winner—Alabama, most assume, but maybe Georgia—is just plain on another level than Notre Dame.

With defense. With heart. With resolve. That’s how Notre Dame has gotten to this point. That’s why Notre Dame is in position to win its first national championship in 24 years.

But don’t forget to look forward. The Irish are experts at winning close games. Some would, with good reason, call it winning ugly. At some point, though, Notre Dame must be credited for knowing how to close out a ballgame.

Alabama, for one, hasn’t had to do that very often.

Kyle Brindza kicked five field goals for the Irish, including a career-long 52-yarder to close the first half.

Running back Theo Riddick was a force, with 20 carries for 146 yards and the team’s only touchdown.

The Irish outgained USC 438-285 and forced two turnovers, while committing none.

Again, it never really was all that close.

Manti Te’o and the Notre Dame defense were on fire again, smothering Trojans quarterback Max Wittek, who’d promised victory for a massively disappointing team that now sits at 7-5. Te’o had his seventh interception of the season—probably not enough to win him the Heisman Trophy, but if he isn’t invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony, it’ll be a gross miscarriage of justice.

“It means everything to me,” the linebacker said, “everything to my football family and my family back at home. I’m at a loss of words.”

Are the Irish good enough to share the field with the SEC champion? Six weeks from now, we’re going to find out.

“I’m just so proud of my players and my coaches and the way we’ve been able to win all (our) games,” Kelly said.

And then the coach added this pearl of infinite wisdom: “To go undefeated in college football is a hard thing to do.”

Does it hold up to an SEC schedule? Maybe not. Have the Irish proved themselves to be on the same level as defending national champion Alabama—or Georgia, which the Crimson Tide will face in Atlanta on Saturday?

Well, maybe not.

But the Irish know how to win. That much is undeniable now. And they’re gunning for one more W.